The Tao of the Viper: A Kate Pomeroy Mystery

Book 2: The Kate Pomeroy Gothic Mystery Series

by Linda Watkins

Genres: Paranormal; Romantic Suspense; Psychological Thrillers; Supernatural suspense; Suspense; Romantic Suspense; suspense thrillers; paranormal mystery; thriller; psychological thriller; thrillers

Synopsis

Readers Favorite 2020 Gold Medal Winner in Supernatural Fiction!!2020 Winner In Mystery Fiction, Book Excellence Awards!!

"...wickedly clever suspense" ~Self-Publishing Review

"A fantastic and dark paranormal mystery" ~ Readers Favorite

From USA Today bestselling author, Linda Watkins, comes the second installment in the award-winning Kate Pomeroy Gothic Mystery Series...The Tao of the Viper...

After the events of the summer before, Dr. Kate Pomeroy is finally getting her life back on track. She and her boyfriend, Jeremy, have reconciled and are planning for a life together. But things are not always what they seem and the arrival of a sinister and cunning old man, with an agenda of his own, may serve to turn Kate's ordinary world upside down!

"Fluidly moving between romance and suspense. The Tao of the Viper is a supernatural thriller with teeth, heart, and a visionary mind at the creative helm." ~Self-Publishing Review

The first novel in the series, Storm Island, A Kate Pomeroy Mystery, and the third novel, Abducted, A Kate Pomeroy Mystery are also available on Amazon.

 

 

 

Release date: October 21, 2019

Publisher: Argon Press

Print pages: 398

Sample

KATE

Mid-October, Storm Island, Maine

I DREAM OF dead people…


Raoul – smiling his oily smile as he offers me a chocolate martini … Hettie – sitting on the lounge, her hand holding a chilled glass of chardonnay, fingernails painted a decadent shade of red … and my mother – drifting in and out, always surrounded by the scent of roses that lingers long after I awake.


There are others, too – people I think I should know, but don’t.


Curiously, my father, who was murdered, never makes his presence known. Perhaps, he is the only one who is truly resting in peace.


I thought about my nightmare as I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. My face was much too pale.


Slowly, I inhaled, shaking my head as I tried to clear my thoughts. Now was not the time for this. I had work to do.


I reached for my blush and placed a dab on each side of my face, rubbing it gently up my cheekbones.


“Katy?”


I turned.
Jeremy was standing in the doorway, staring at me. He was dressed for work – faded jeans tucked into knee-high black rubber boots, sweatshirt, and jeans jacket, all topped off with a Red Sox ball cap.


I smiled. He looked unbelievably handsome.


“What, honey?” I answered.


“Bad dreams again last night?”


“Yeah. Sorry, if I kept you up.

”
Frowning, he walked over to me and put his arms around my waist.


“No need to say sorry,” he whispered. “But I’m lying right beside you and I’m there, you know, if you need to talk.”


“I know. But it’s just…”


My words trailed off. Was I ready to expose all my ghosts to the light of day?


He put his hand under my chin, tilting my face up to his. “I used to have dreams, too. Bad ones after I returned from Afghanistan. I thought I could handle them – didn’t think I needed any help. So, I didn’t tell anyone. That was a mistake. Don’t you do the same. Talking helps. Believe me. I know.”


I leaned into his embrace, silently blessing the day I’d met this wonderful man.


“Okay,” I finally said. “Maybe after all this last-minute work on the clinic is over. Then we can take a deep breath and really talk about what happened last summer.”


He grinned. “Good. Now, I’ve got to get going. The cooler weather has made the lobsters move to deeper water and I have to follow them. How about meeting me on the mainland tonight. Dinner and dancing? We’ve both been working too hard. Time to kick up our heels a bit.”


I laughed, leaning forward, kissing him quickly on the lips.


“You’re on, sailor. I’ll catch a water taxi and meet you on the wharf at, say, seven?”


“Sounds like a plan.”


He kissed me again and gave me a firm hug, then strode out of the bathroom. I watched him go, then turned back toward the mirror.


Despite the blush, I still look too pale.